A folding sliding roof for a convertible vehicle is movable between a closed position in which the roof covers the vehicle compartment and an opened position in which the roof is folded and stowed in a storage space in the rear of the vehicle to thereby expose the vehicle compartment. The roof includes a top fabric (a fabric cover) and convertible top bows. Two guide rails are positioned respectively on the left and right longitudinal sides of the vehicle. The top bows extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the guide rails and are connected to the guide rails. The top bows are connected to and support the top fabric. The top bows stretch the top fabric over the vehicle compartment in the closed position. The top fabric is adjustable between the closed and opened positions with the aid of the top bows.
The top bows include sliding top bows. The sliding top bows enable the adjustability of the top fabric between the closed and opened positions. The sliding top bows are displaceably mounted on the guide rails by their ends. Another one of the top bows is a corner bow that is connected to a transition region of the top fabric. The transition region makes a transition between a rear section of the top fabric and a roof section of the top fabric in the closed position. The transition region is square-cut whereby the vehicle compartment has a relatively large amount of headroom in the region of a rear-window shelf when covered by the top fabric.
A problem with such a folding sliding roof lies with the placement of the top fabric in the opened position. It is desirable that storage of the top fabric be placed as low as possible as this results in an essentially unobstructed line of sight to the rear. But it is particularly inconvenient that the corner bow has to be moved, since it takes up a relatively large amount of space.